Instigator
by Mac-alicious
Summary: A look at Ginny Weasley a few years into the future. Along with her best friend and roommate Valerie Hart, she takes the muggle clubs by storm [assume PostWar,Light Won]


A/N: This is a fic about Ginny Weasley. This is what I think she'll be like in her early twenties. It just came to me while I was listening to Kaci Brown, an artist I really like. The song 'Instigator' (which is where the title came from) was what inspired this little quick spotlight moment. I guess you would have to assume it's Post-War, and they won. I might write a companion to another Kaci Brown song, but I'm not sure. Probably though. Ah, R&R! Thanks. -Mac

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or related characters (i.e. Ginny), not much else is HP related in the story. I do own Valerie Hart though, she is my creation. Though I do owe the inspiration of the name to the song 'Instigator' by Kaci Brown. If you have ever heard it, it mentions 'my girl Val', so that's where that came from, but the actual character is all mine.

**Instigator**

I walked into what had to be the tenth club of the night with Val right beside me. The beat of the music pulsed around us the second we entered. Two in the morning and the dance floor was still crowded and lively. I looked to Val, and all she did was smirk as we headed straight for the middle of the crowd.

This was our routine. We get all fancied up and go out for a nice Friday night on the town. We hit like ten clubs and stay out into the early morning hours of Saturday. It's our weekly outing. A stress reliever. I love the fact that I can come to these places and just be another face in the masses of people. I'm not the sister of the best friend of Harry Potter. I'm not the girl who had a sad and short stint as the girlfriend of the famous wizard. I'm just another girl. A smoking gorgeous girl. A girl who could have any guy in the place.

That was Val's usual pre-club pep talk. 'You are a beautiful, funny, clever, fiery woman. You can have your pick of any guy you lay your eyes on. And feel no need to choose wisely, you'll probably never see him again!' It's very insipiring. She has a way with making you completely confident and utterly conceited, but it works. It works well.

I love Val. Valerie Hart, my roommate and best friend. When I finally got out from under the watchful eyes of my brothers and mum and got my own place I was tempted to stick it out alone. But what kind of girl wants to do that? With most of my old friends either roped in by new jobs or new beaus and me being ecstatically single, I was forced to go to the classifieds. Val had just moved from the States. I liked her instantly. Hated her in a second. And loved her in a minute. She was perfect.

We complement each other. I think that's what did it. Our tastes are polar opposites so we never fight over anything, especially guys. We work well together, especially when we're out in the clubs. She can spot a guy I'd like, and I can spot a guy she'd like. You know the deal with the backs and scratching, right?

Tonight must have been the thousandth night out we had shared. It just never got old for us. I was young and energetic, as was Val. A night out dancing is always on the top of my list for weekend to dos. Always. And here we were again dancing together in the center of the dance floor scoping out the place for some hot prospects. As I scan the floor I catch a guy nearly drooling as he checked out Val. I nudged her and tilted my head in his direction. Val smiled and headed for him.

Just as I was feeling her absence, a young man came up from behind me and started to move with me. I smiled and danced with him. I spun around so I was facing him. I didn't know him. I liked that I didn't know him. That meant I had no attachment to him. I don't like attachment anymore. That was why Val and I went to muggle clubs. There were just too many familiar faces in the magically run places. Too many memories of bad times long past. Plus, I know my brothers frequent those kinds of places. And the last thing I want is to run into one of them when I'm in a situation like this. They're not above beating down a complete stranger. Also, I know Ron and Harry drag Hermione from her desk every so often, to prove she can have a little fun even with a full time job. That was why I loved these places. I don't know anyone, and no one knows me. I can be myself with a bunch of guys I don't know.

My brothers used to insist that I was boy crazy and perhaps I was. But I enjoyed this. This was my chance to have fun after a stressful week. This was my chance to have fun, period. I was out with my friend and I savored this time. I had a job just like the rest of them. This was my time to let loose. Why shouldn't I go to the last place anyone else would see me? This wasn't about guys, or no strings attached encounters. Sure, that was a definitely pro, but that wasn't the point. Val and I always go home with just ourselves. We did this to cut loose, have some fun, dance with some guys, and go home completely exhausted from all of it.

And no fear our bosses, co-workers, or—in my case—brothers will catch us.

As the song changed, I moved on to the next guy that caught my eye. I looked to my left and saw that Val had swapped partners as well. We've both been told we have a short attention span when it comes to guys. I think it was Hermione who told me that. It was my sixth year and I was on to my third boyfriend and we hadn't even gone on Christmas break yet. He was a Slytherin no less. Ron wasn't terribly happy about that one. When I got with the fourth it was a week before break, I used that as an excuse.

_"Well, I broke up with him because you didn't like me with a Slytherin. You said so yourself."_

Val said her mother was the one who said she was a bit A.D.D. when it came to her boyfriends. Val added that her mother had said it with pride and a sparkle in her eye. Yes, but then again that had come from a women who was on her fourth...no fifth husband.

That was another thing about Val that I liked. She knows what it's like to have sibling eyes on you at all the time. Back in the States, she has many a sibling. Her father was her mother's third husband. Her mother was her father's second wife. She had two older brothers, one from her father's first marriage, one from her mother's second marriage. She had an older sister from her mother's first marriage. She had two younger brothers, twins, from her parents. Her father's third marriage--which has survived thus far--produced another sister. Her mother hasn't had anymore darling, bundles of joy. She's got a good back experience in the area. So she wasn't too shocked when she met some of my family.

_"Ah, Fred and George remind me of my little brothers."_

_"Your little brothers are nine." _

_"And?"_

I always get a kick out of the looks on Fred and George's faces when she said that. I think they thought she was a 'fine specimen' as Ron once mentioned to Harry when he didn't know I was listening. The fact that she compared them to nine year olds may have seemed to be a bit of a sign she wouldn't give either of them a shot.

As a slower melody came on over the speakers, I gave Val a pointed look and she joined me on my way to the bar. She laughed and fanned herself with her hand as she took a seat on a stool next to me. We didn't do slow songs. We came for energy. Slow didn't equal energy. We sat out the slow sets.

"So, how's it going?" Val asked.

"Fantastic. You?" I reciprocated.

"I danced with at least eight different guys. All with bad boy hair." Val answered.

Val classified guys by their hairstyle. There was bad boy hair, shy hair, prep hair, psycho hair (avoid them), even musician hair. Val can spot it from a mile away. She was trying to explain her system to me, but I wasn't all that attentive. Hair wasn't my thing. My thing was eyes. That was what had fueled my obsession with Harry back in school. His eyes. Oh, he had the most gorgeous eyes. I didn't really notice hair. I noticed eyes.

"Four blue. One green. Two brown. And one hazel." I replied.

"Eight songs, eight guys. Good work."

"Same to you."

We had a quick drink and returned to the floor. We avoided the guys we had already danced with and tried to find some new meat. This was how we worked. We got to as many guys as we could and didn't think past the moment.

During our second break at this club, we were in the middle of our drinks when this pack of girls made their way toward us. This happened at least once a night. Tonight must be our lucky night because this is the third time tonight. The one leading them was super pissed off, or at least appeared to be. She was dead focused on glaring at me. When they all stopped in front of us, there were six of them, they all did their best to look fierce. They were failing miserably, because I have seen terrifying and fierce. Six little blonde Barbie dolls were not it.

"Were you dancing with _my_ boyfriend." The leader snapped in my direction.

"I wouldn't know. Which one is he?" I shrugged, unfazed.

"Shy with a dash of prep hair?" Val suggested.

"Maybe." I replied.

"You were dancing with my boyfriend." The girl rephrased.

"Look what your man does while you're in the little girl's room is not my problem." I said. This had to be the zillionth time I've had to call off some jealous girlfriend.

"Scatter." Val snapped, bearing her teeth angrily. Then laughed as the girls let off some offended 'Humphs' and walked off.

"Nice." I rolled my eyes.

I heard Val mutter something about 'muggles' and 'thinking they can scare me'.

About an hour after we had arrived, we headed out. All the way to the Apparation point we laughed about the nights events. Another night to refer to when I got older and the club life didn't suit me anymore. Another fun night out on the town. But it was time to head back to our flat. I had to meet the Trio for lunch in nine hours and I wasn't even home yet. Some announcement Ron had. Probably some new girl. I really needed to rest up for it.

However, one more club couldn't hurt.


End file.
